My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game

Elena’s POV

After my morning class ended, Leo walked me across campus to the creative writing building. His helpfulness should have been reassuring, but something about his hovering presence made my skin crawl with unease.

The last thing I needed was to create drama early in my time here. Especially not the kind that involved possessive men who barely knew me.

I settled into creative writing and scribbled notes furiously, trying to absorb everything the professor threw at us. When the bell rang, he called my name.

"Elena, could you stay behind for a moment?"

My stomach dropped. Had I already screwed something up?

But his face lit up as he approached my desk. "That short story you submitted for your makeup work was exceptional. Truly brilliant writing. I’m excited to see what else you produce this semester."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you, sir. Writing has always been my passion, so you’ll definitely see more of that quality."

Leo waited outside the classroom like some kind of loyal dog, and since my next class wasn’t for a while, we headed to the cafeteria. The moment we sat down with our food trays, I knew this conversation couldn’t wait.

"Leo, we need to talk." My voice was sharper than I intended.

He looked up from his sandwich. "About what?"

"First, there’s absolutely nothing happening between me and the Alpha or his brother. Nothing romantic, nothing sexual, nothing at all. Second, I’m pregnant with some bastard’s baby from my old pack. That’s actually why I had to leave." The words tumbled out in a rush.

His eyebrows shot up. "Shit, Elena. That’s heavy."

"It is. And I noticed how you were glaring at every guy who so much as glanced my direction today. I don’t want you getting the wrong impression about anything."

Leo set down his food and leaned back in his chair. "Actually, I should come clean too. Alpha Damien specifically asked me to keep an eye on you at school. Make sure you’re eating properly - which makes sense now that I know about the pregnancy - and ensure none of the guys here give you trouble. Unless you want their attention, of course."

Heat flashed through my chest. "Are you fucking kidding me? He assigned you as my goddamn bodyguard?"

"Not a bodyguard," Leo said quickly, raising his hands. "More like a friend looking out for another friend. Damien seemed genuinely concerned about your wellbeing."

"I don’t need anyone’s concern," I snapped. "I’ve been taking care of myself just fine without help from overbearing Alphas."

"Look, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going anywhere. I could use more friends around here, and you seem cool enough. You interested in that?"

Despite my irritation, I found myself nodding. "Fine. Friends. But no more hovering."

"Deal."

My final class was pre-med basics, a requirement for all werewolves in college. Most students treated it as a throwaway credit, but I found myself genuinely interested. Maybe I could take a few more courses in this track. I’d never be a full doctor, but having advanced medical training could make me valuable to whatever pack I ended up with long-term.

When classes finished, Leo insisted on driving me home instead of letting me walk. He claimed the distance was too far, even though the packhouse sat just outside our territory border. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

We pulled up to the packhouse right as dinner was being served. Perfect timing.

"How was your first real day?" Damien asked as I slid into my usual seat.

The question ignited the anger that had been simmering all afternoon. "It was fine. But I don’t need a fucking babysitter following me around campus."

Both Damien and Gage’s forks froze halfway to their mouths.

"Leo isn’t a babysitter," Damien said carefully. "I just asked him to make sure none of the college guys tried anything with you. I don’t know most of them personally, which means I don’t trust them around you."

"You could have at least told me about the arrangement beforehand. You could have just said he’d be showing me around instead of letting me figure it out myself."

"She’s got a point there," Gage interjected. "That would’ve gone over way better."

Damien shot his brother a withering look. "Nobody asked for your input."

"Listen, Alpha..." I started, but stopped when I saw Damien’s expression shift.

His jaw tightened. "Alpha? Since when are you being so formal with me?"

"I’m part of your pack now. I need to start acting like a proper pack member instead of some random girl you’re housing. You’re my Alpha, and I should be addressing you as such instead of using your first name like we’re equals."

The explanation sounded logical in my head, but the hurt that flashed across Damien’s features made me wonder if I’d said something wrong.